ancientart:Limestone statue of a bearded man with votive offerings. Cypriot, ca. 475–450 BC.In about
ancientart:Limestone statue of a bearded man with votive offerings. Cypriot, ca. 475–450 BC.In about 526 BC Cyprus was absorbed into the Persian Empire. With this, contact with the wealthy East Greek cities of western Asia Minor (who had also succumbed to Persian rule) increased. The work shown in this post exemplifies how we can view, and often interpret, historical events through art. The Greek influence in sculptural style is significant in this Cypriot work. The MET elaborates:He wears typical East Greek dress, a finely pleated linen chiton, and a woolen himation (cloak), and stands with left foot advanced in a pose that gives a subtle sense of movement. His smile and the jewel-like precision with which his hair and beard are carved remind one of Greek Archaic art of the sixth century B.C., but the style appears stiff and somewhat artificial in this statue, which was carved in the second quarter of the fifth century.Like many Cypriot votive statues this figure wears a wreath of leaves and flowers. It is composed of oak leaves and stylized narcissus flowers, which must have evoked ideas of fertility and regeneration. The man holds gifts for the deity—a dove in his left hand and a cylindrical object, which probably represented a container of incense, in his right hand. (met)Courtesy of & able to be viewed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Via their online collections: 74.51.2461. -- source link